Pokemon Legends: Z-A Can't Leave Two Mons Without Mega…

After 12 years of relative obscurity following the release of Pokemon X and Y, the legendary Pokemon Zygarde will finally have its time in the spotlight with the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Set after the events of Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have players embody a young tourist exploring the newly renovated Lumiose City as they’ll take part in trainer battles during the Z-A Royale and encounter characters new and old in Kalos.

Along the way, players will additionally encounter Zygarde in its various forms as the Order Pokemon is said to have taken a special interest in the protagonist. While Zygarde is taking the spotlight in Z-A, Game Freak should strive not to forget about featuring Kalos’ two other legendary Pokemon: Xerneas and Yveltal.

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By Martin Wood

The History of Xerneas and Yveltal Explained

In early 2013, both the legendary Life Pokemon Xerneas and the legendary Destruction Pokemon Yveltal were among the first new creatures officially unveiled during a Pokemon Direct broadcast alongside the starters Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Yveltal was revealed to be a dual Dark/Flying-type and the mascot for Pokemon Y, while Xerneas was revealed to be a Fairy-type, the first legendary Fairy-type of the franchise, and the mascot for Pokemon X. Both legendary Kalos Pokemon were originally designed to mirror the shape of the letters X and Y, with Xerneas’ deer-like antlers and long legs resembling an X, and Yveltal’s bird-like wings and tails resembling a Y.

Despite Xerneas and Yveltal’s intriguing designs and typing, both legendary Pokemon would turn out to have little impact and prominence in Pokemon X and Y’s story. Only a few NPCs make reference to the legendary Pokemon before they’re first encountered deep within Team Flare's headquarters. In Anistar City, players can speak to an old man who says that Xerneas released and shared its energy with nearby creatures at the end of its thousand-year-long lifespan, while Yveltal stole the lifeforce of other creatures 3,000 years ago. Following this event, both Pokemon went into a deep slumber, with Xerneas transforming into the Tree of Life and Yveltal transforming into the Cocoon of Destruction. Xerneas and Yveltal’s were later awoken by Team Flare for their plan to make a “beautiful and better” world.

Xerneas and Yveltal’s Appearances Beyond Pokemon X and Y

After Xerneas and Yveltal are either caught or defeated by Serena or Calem, the two legendary Pokemon played little to no role in the rest of X and Y. In 2014’s Pokemon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Yveltal is seen destroying Allearth Forest and turning Pokemon and people into stone, while Xerneas later restores both the forest and the petrified creatures. Both legendaries would go on to be obtainable in a few future mainline games and make a couple of brief appearances in spin-offs, including:

New Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
Pokemon Omega Ruby
Pokemon Sun
Pokemon Moon
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Pokemon Sword
Pokemon Shield
Pokemon Battle Trozei
Pokemon Rumble World
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Pokemon Picross
Pokemon Rumble Rush
Pokemon Shuffle
Pokemon Masters EX

Xerneas and Yveltal’s Potential Return and Prominence in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Pokemon Legends: Z-A may be Zygarde’s time in the spotlight, but there could still be room for Xerneas and Yveltal to receive some much-needed return to fame. Xerneas hasn’t appeared prominently in a game since 2021’s New Pokemon Snap, and Yveltal arguably hasn’t appeared prominently in any game since its debut. To rectify this issue, Pokemon Legends: Z-A could have the two appear as side antagonists to Zygarde, similar to how they were originally intended to be used by Team Flare. For instance, a former Team Flare member could be revealed to be secretly in charge of a portion of the Lumiose City redevelopment project and be shown to have captured and manipulated Xerneas and Yveltal to destroy the city in retaliation for Lysandre’s defeat.

Rumors have appeared that Zygarde will receive a Mega Evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A and, if this turns out to be true, Xerneas and Yveltal deserve to receive Mega Evolutions or similarly powerful forms as well. This could mirror how Rayquaza received a Mega Evolution in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire while Groudon and Kyogre received Primal forms.

These new Mega Evolutions or Primal forms could not only help expand upon Xerneas and Yveltal’s enigmatic history, but be the pivotal factor if the two legendaries do end up opposing Lumiose and Zygarde due to Mega Evolution’s suggested unnatural nature. Alternatively, Xerneas could be shown guiding wild Pokemon to live within Lumiose following the redevelopment, while Yveltal could be used as a tool to wither away Lumiose’s new natural elements.

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